The invention concerns systems for the transmission and/or storage of color T.V. signals. The publication "NTZ," 1971, vol. 6, pp. 321-325 discloses a digital transmission technique for color T.V. signals. A distinction is drawn between closed and separate encoding, when characterizing what type of analog-to-digital conversion technique is to be utilized for the color T.V. signals to be transmitted. With so-called closed encoding, the complete analog composite color T.V. signal is sampled with respect to amplitude, quantized and pulse-code modulated. In the case of so-called separate encoding, the luminance and chrominance components of the color T.V. signals are separately subjected to analog-to-digital conversion. Separate encoding of color T.V. signals creates the possibility of reducing information redundancy much more effectively than is the case with closed encoding of color T.V. signals. One reason for this is that different sampling frequencies can be employed, one for one signal component and a different one for the other signal component. Another reason relates to the possibility of utilizing for the separately encoded components transmission techniques which are particularly well suited for the chrominance component, for example. However, although separate encoding makes possible a significant reduction in redundant information, it inherently tends to bring with it the disadvantage of increased cost for the means needed to separately process two signal components, i.e., instead of just a single signal.